The Venture To Unknown
by Lialioya
Summary: S.H.I.E.L.D. crumbling, danger looming, but what does any of this have to do with Melony? A force too big for any opposer looms, and Thor seeks to help in it's downfall. It was hardly a coincidence that she was volunteered. With dark paths, mysterious enemies and psychotic brothers ahead, Melony will be lucky if she makes it out alive, or makes it at all. Sequel to "The Twin."
1. Prologue

**Hello readers!**

**This is the sequel to 'The Twin' which is set in Avengers, but I don't think you really need to read it to get this.**

**This is my first sequel, I'm pretty excited, and I want to hear what you guys think! It would mean the world if you reviewed.**

**Let me know if I should continue!**

**Happy reading!**

**~Lialioya**

* * *

Director Fury was already having a bad day even before an extremely irked god of thunder marched into his office, knocking over his seventh cup of coffee.

_What now? _Fury didn't even flinch as Thor paced angrily in front of him. The director still kept his hands folded neatly together on his desk, and he didn't show any emotion on his face. He waited for Thor to speak.

"Something as big as this will never be solved by a shut-down!" Thor exploded. "Won't listen to what anyone says, yet he's dead set on keeping us locked up!"

"Back up," Fury leaned forward slightly, a bit hesitant and a bit interested. The director wanted to know where he was getting at, but for all he knew Thor could be babbling on about his favorite store closing. "Sit down."

Thor curled his hands into fists and glared at the chair. Fury wondered if the god would smash it, but the blond god eventually calmed and perched awkwardly on the chair that groaned under his weight.

"Now," Fury chose his words carefully. He knew if there was even a single mistaken word, Thor would start ranting again. "Start from the beginning."

Fury could see the gears grinding in Thor's head, wondering how much he should tell. Finally Thor spoke. "There are drastic measures being taken in Asgard."

"What kind of drastic measures?" Fury asked, eyebrow raised.

"Ones that will make a very grave outcome," Thor grit his teeth. "I was the only one who saw this."

"Okay," Fury nodded, like he understood but Thor was being hard to follow. "Who has made this bad decision?"

"My father, Odin the All-Father."

"Ah," Fury said. "And what exactly was this decision?"

"To close Asgard from the inside so it would be 'impenetrable'," Thor sighed in exasperation. "I thought my father could see that a lock down is not the answer. We need to go out and fight like real gods. That is why I came to you."

"So, you're telling me that big daddy in the sky is shutting down Asgard?" Fury sat back a bit. "Why?"

"Because we are faced with a threat that has never been seen in his millions of years. It may have been something of Borr's time, which was his father."

Fury kept a deadpanned expression. He made a mental note to do some Norse Mythology research. "Alright. Closing because there is a threat that they can't face. Now about you coming to us. If gods can't do it, what chance do we have against this thing? And what the hell is it?"

"I was hoping you could re-assemble some of the heroes that helped in stopping Loki all those months ago. I'm sure they wouldn't back down from the challenge," Thor suggested.

Fury sighed to himself. How should he put this? "They're not, well, exactly ready to jump into a task like this."

Thor furrowed his eyebrows. "Please do explain."

"The government has denied their involvement after the destruction of New York. They've been quietly put down." Fury scowled. He didn't like the words he was speaking either, regardless if it was the truth or not. The Avengers would be people Fury would turn to, but at risk of his job, Fury couldn't pull another stunt like that again.

"That is ridiculous! Absurd! Who put those brainless animals in charge-" Thor snarled in anger. It was then Fury noticed Thor had his hammer. In an attempt to sooth him, and stop the god from smashing things, he said;

"It may not be the smartest thing to talk that way. They have ears everywhere. Anyway, what kind of people are you looking for?"

"Someone who will not back down from this. Maybe one of your agents?" Thor said.

"I don't think so. S.H.I.E.L.D. Is having some. . ." He cleared his throat, adjusted his eye patch and gave a dirty look to the stack of paperwork heaped on his desk full of complaints. "Technical difficulties. It's a bit hard to get things done these days."

Thor looked unimpressed. "Surely you can do something. All the other realms I have visited have turned down my offer. Do you reject it as well?"

Fury grunted. It would make him look bad if he turned it down, but there were no other possibilities. "It's more complicated than 'yes' and 'no'."

"Are you willing to risk your planets safety because one group of people say so?" Thor asked.

Fury leaned forward. "You never said anything about the safety of our planet."

"It is in danger as long as this threat remains. We know not of its dealings, plans, allies, nothing. For all we know it could be coming to attack Midgard, even though it is aiming straight to Asgard, it could stop on the way."

Fury spread his hands out wide across the top of the desk. "You're saying there is a possibility that earth could be attacked by this threat?"

"Correct."

"What is this threat ?"

"A gargantuan beast that is slowly crawling towards the nine realms. We have never gotten a clear look at it since it seems to be shrouded by darkness. We do not know much, but we know this; it likes to kill and destroy for the pleasure of it. We found this out after seeing the remains of a small planet it passed over," Thor said grimly.

"How do you plan to stop this thing, even if you do have someone to help you?" Fury inquired.

"We will have to find the ingredients, the same ingredients we used for the binds of Fenrir." Thor waited for Fury to show even a trace of recognition or understanding.

"So what's that?"

Thor huffed. What did they teach these Midgardians? "Fenrir is a massive beast in the shape of a wolf, that is strong enough to break the most indestructible objects. Long ago, we found the ingredients that are so very rare their existence was questioned. We need to find the beast, get the proper ingredients, and dispose of it. But I cannot do this alone for I know that finding these things will be too difficult if I attempt by myself."

Fury felt his patience was being tested. "If their existence is being questioned, how do you know that these objects do even exist? That they are just of legend?"

"I am said to have been just of legend, yet here I stand," Thor said with finality in his voice.

"Okay," Fury grit his teeth together, but tried to hide it. "Sounds like a good cause, but like I said, I don't have anyone at my disposal. Even if I did bend the rules, they probably won't take too kindly of being brought on this fantasy-filled quest."

"The Captain?"

"He's currently busy with another threat."

"The Black Widow and The Hawk?"

"They're knee-deep in a mission that's very important."

"The Metal Man?"

"Stark is definitely not a good option for this one."

"What about those Twins?"

"They-" Fury stopped in mid-sentence and frowned. They weren't doing anything at the moment, but then again they were hardly trained, and very inexperienced. "They're too young for something like this."

"You're basing this on age?" Thor's patience was rapidly depleting.

"They're not qualified to take on such a large task. I say no," Fury watched as Thor struggled to stop from smashing something.

"You're willing to put your entire planet on the line because you won't let them accompany me?"

"They'll die out there."

"Do your people not believe in glorious deaths and honor?"

"No, we believe in living as long as we can, and not throwing ourselves into situations that will get us killed."

"Such wise words from a man who is employed in a job that could get him killed any second of the day," Thor growled.

"This fighting isn't helping. What makes you so dead set on bringing them now?" Fury asked.

"I need someone to come with me. If they are the only option I have, I'll take it. I am truly desperate. Besides, you let them go when we were stopping Loki from destroying your world, did you not?"

Fury pursed his lips together in agitation. He did, but letting his agents go into a whole different realm wasn't the same. "If they're going, there has to be conditions."

"I'm listening," Thor shifted, nearly breaking the chair he was still upon.

"They need to agree on coming with you. Don't let them make their own decisions, and no matter how they bribe, convince or anything, never let them go to Texas."

"Strange, but I give you my word," Thor nodded.

Fury stood up. "I'll give them a call." He walked out of the room for privacy, leaving Thor in the small room.

After a long period of time, Fury re-entered, finding Thor pacing and swinging his hammer.

"Watch it!" Fury said. "You could rip this whole plane apart with that."

"My apologies. Did they agree?" Thor asked.

"There was way too much static on the other side to find out. I'm sure they'll agree, because they're too young to know how insane this whole thing really is," Fury muttered the last part to himself.

"I gave you my word no harm will come to them. We will make sure they return alive," Thor reassured.

Fury slowly looked at him with a dangerous expression on his face. "Did you say 'we'?"

"I did."

"Who is this, 'we'? I thought you said no one else agreed." Fury had a feeling he had just been swindled.

"The other person does not have a choice if he wants to come or not," Thor informed him, unfazed by the way Fury's temper rose to fit his name.

"Who is the other person that will be accompanying you on this 'mission'?" Fury growled.

"Don't worry, he'll behave as long as he is kept in line. He will be a very valuable asset in this," Thor said in a simple voice, one that angered Fury even more once he knew who he was talking about. "Loki almost always is."


	2. Fury in London

There's nothing in this world like being waken by a bucket of ice-cold water.

I was just peacefully dreaming, as a waterfall of liquid fell on my head, making sit up coughing and look at the little devil who did it. That's one of the reasons why I hate my twin sister, Emily.

"What the hell Em!" I sputtered, rubbing my eyes to try and make them clear from sleep and water. "Next time just set the alarm!"

"I did, but you wouldn't wake up so I had to resort to desperate measures," she told me, putting the now empty of water vase back on my dresser, roses surprisingly still inside. "Maybe you shouldn't be such a deep sleeper."

"Sorry, I'll change that right away," I grumbled as she walked out of the room. Her classes started earlier than mine, so she was probably just jealous that I could sleep in longer. I rolled out of bed and groaned.

I swear, if it wasn't Friday, I would have killed myself.

With a few tugs I got my frizzy and uncooperative flame red hair to sort of stay down, and I started towards the bathroom. After stumbling twice and smacking my hip off of an end table I was fully awake and presentable, so I left locking the flat behind me.

I remembered the one time I didn't and someone broke in. Thank goodness it was just out neighbor Frank who had mistaken our house for his own.

In a very unexciting manner I made my way to the University I go to, keeping my head down on the bus ride and the short jog up the hill. Finally I sat down, placing my bag at my feet and waiting for the rest of the people to come and fill the seats that were empty, making me miss my old job that always included a room full of people.

Quietly students leaked in and I fondly remembered my position at S.H.I.E.L.D, which at the time didn't seem as ideal as it did then. I was one of the insignificant agents who were trained by the government and paid to stare at a computer screen all day, hacking into different spam sites and illegal pages. I guess Joseph, the unpredictable guy I sat beside, was part of my job as well, because I was the one they asked to calm him down. I had only been there for a few months before a totally insane guy who wanted to rule the world showed up, formally known as Loki, making me have second thoughts about wanting to work there.

Yet now my views have changed after a year away, and even though I would never admit it, I missed S.H.I.E.L.D.

Yanked out of my thoughts by the teachers sudden monotone voice, I jumped slightly, making the person next to me send a dirty look in my direction. I adjusted myself so I could give my full attention to the lesson ahead, even though my brain wanted to wander.

* * *

I was among the throng of people who spilled out into the hallway after the bell rung. I was pushed and shoved back by stupid party-goers who were excited for another weekend filled with alcohol and dancing. I let them push me, because I was too distracted to send them a venomous glare at that moment.

A test? Next week? Boy, I needed to study!

I sighed heavily and was almost dragging my feet through the hallway that was almost deserted already. It was like being to University was just a big joke to all of them. Just an excuse to get away from their parents and do whatever they want.

I wondered if they even briefly thought about how they were letting almost ten thousand dollars slip down the drain. How did they even get in? I got a sad look from a janitor that was making his rounds.

"Not invited to the party?" He asked through his mustache that was so thick I didn't know if he even had a mouth. A balding head shone off the lights and nearly blinded me.

I shrugged.

"That's too bad, kid. But maybe you'll learn a thing or two while they're off drinking their faces off, eh?" I nodded slowly, wanting to walk away but didn't want to seem rude.

"Sometimes those who miss out get the best rewards in the end," he wiped his hands off a dirty rag, and with a final look he continued pushing his cart along the halls, the wheels squealing over the polished floor. I stood frozen for a moment.

What the hell?

I continued walking, his eyes that I barely saw peaking out off his bushy eyebrows still floated in my minds eye.

A glimpse of pure amber gold. . .

I turned to look at the long hall, that had no turns and nothing but lockers all the way until the far end, but the janitor was no where to be seen. I frowned. He couldn't have gotten to the end, it was too far away. I slowly backed up, thinking I had been hallucinating, but I wasn't even fooling myself.

I shook my head and walked away without a second thought. I pushed open the door and started my decent to the bottom where the parking lot was. I had most likely missed the bus and now I had to walk.

Great.

With an aggravated sigh I looked up at the sky that was slowly turning from blue to gray.

Oh, just fabulous, it was going to rain on me too.

I huffed and muttered to myself for a whole block until a strange sight caught my eye.

Was that Emily?

Why would she be here?

I was confused, and decided to go figure it out.

I hurried in front of traffic, quickly to avoid any cussing and honks that other slower pedestrians were receiving. I saw her duck into an alley, and I subconsciously knew something was up. She hadn't shown her face yet, but it couldn't be a coincidence that this girl had the exact same hair, uniform, and wore it the same way.

I looked around, because I felt uneasy. Maybe it was the spy-instinct that was kicking in, but whatever it was, I didn't like it.

I followed her into the alley, that was too dark to see anything unless I delved in further.

Just to see no one was there.

It was a trap.

I spun around, and instantly was hit in the face making me stumble back. I saw stars and swayed as my attacker got ready another punch. I raised my arms in a feeble attempt to shield my head, but I was very out of shape, and hadn't practiced in so long I forgot some of the basics. Their gloved fist met my arm making me gasp in pain.

I looked out, and saw a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent beating me up.

"I didn't say anything!" I desperately tried to stop him from beating the living daylights out of me. I knew it was supposed to be a major sin for old resigned agents to speak about the top secret facility, but I honestly had yet to say a word about it. It was part of my 'reinventing my life' program, to not think about the time where I was once paid to nearly get killed.

It surprisingly wasn't very hard.

But then why was this guy smacking me around, and why was he alone?

"Hey!" Fury seemed to melt from the shadows, cape flowing and his one eye glowering at his agent. "I told you to make sure she wouldn't attack, not to smack her around like a rag doll!"

"Sorry, Sir," the agent spat, still glaring at me. "Unfinished business."

What?

I lowered my arms and took a good look at him. I was confused.

The brunette man standing there was Owen, Joseph's cousin, but what did he have against me?

"It was your own fault you were demoted, not hers," Fury pushed him aside, and stood before me.

I briefly remembered sneaking in and eavesdropping on Owen and another agent. Was he demoted because he gave me information, or because S.H.I.E.L.D. found out that he was snooping into government property?

I waved off his last dirty look and turned to Fury.

"Fury. Long time, no see," I nodded at my former boss.

"Let's keep greetings short. I came here for a specific purpose, and I don't want any time wasted, because we have a lot to talk about," Fury looked back to where he had emerged, and Emily soon joined us. "Emily will be there as well, because unfortunately, he wouldn't settle for just one of you."

"Who's this 'he'?" I asked.

"Later. Follow me."

* * *

"So, you're telling me I need to go on some . . . 'quest' to save the universe from a giant monster that made gods quiver, by collecting things that may or may not exist anymore?"

Fury nodded, but didn't look happy. "I don't like the sound of it either, but if Thor doesn't get a companion soon, he's going to lose his temper. And it won't be pretty. I'm asking you to humor him."

I sat up in disbelief in the chair I was in. "This is bloody ridiculous."

Emily shifted in the chair next to me, uncomfortable and not saying much. I had a feeling she had already been convinced.

"On a side note, why did you come all the way to Britain to come and get me?" I asked.

"You do remember about two months ago when I called you? Well, there was a lot of static and our signal was obviously being tampered with. You know this, or you should. Anyway, between then and now, I've tried my hardest to make Thor chose someone else, or just to leave, but he's become more and more hostile. He seems dead set on bringing you two all of a sudden, just because I disagree" Fury glanced at the door, that was right beside him.

We were in a small, cramped, gray room that only had room for three chairs, a table and us. We were really far underground, getting here by sewer and navigating through a maze of pipes, hidden passages and other nasty places. Finally we got there, to a fairly well kept area. He informed us that England rented it to them for a short period of time so we could have some privacy.

"Is he here?" I inquired.

"Just outside the door, and most likely listening," Fury rolled his eyes. "I've gotten quite sick of him hovering around, constantly buzzing and saying that everything might already be too late. I need you to go with him, because even though none of our scanners show any source of life outside our atmosphere, he needs someone to come with him."

"We established this already," Emily told me. "We'll go, and see if Thor is right in saying our technology can't pick it up because it's a different kind of life that is literally untraceable, and if he's wrong, we come back. Easy."

"What if he's right?"

I got odd looks from my sister and Fury. They both know that I liked facts, not guesses and maybes.

"If he is right, you help him," Fury said simply. "Because that's what he thinks you're going to do in the first place."

"I can't," I shook my head. This was getting too crazy, too quickly. I just settled into my new life. It would be utterly impossible for me to willingly walk away from it all. "I just want to be normal for once."

Emily gave Fur a look. "What did I tell you?"

I looked between them. So they had been talking about this without me?

"Can't I just go?"

I stared hard at Emily. She ignored me as she asked Fury.

"No," Fury said sharply. "Thor wants the two of you, and so do I, if you have to go at all because you're both far too young and fragile to go to another 'realm' with Thor and-"

He cut off quickly.

"And? Someone else is going as well? I thought you said-" I pressed.

"I know what I said! I'm not happy about it either, but according to _my _plan, _not _Thor's, you won't even have to come in contact with him," Fury grunted. It was obvious to me that he was switching tactics, because it was easy to see I wasn't falling for the you'll-be-a-hero thing. "You won't even miss a week. Just go with Thor, see that there really is no monster, and come back down. Thor's happy, you don't miss anything, we're all happy in knowing a beast really won't rip our planet apart."

I bit my lip. Why would Thor make a massive fuss about nothing at all? "Why can't you send anyone else? Why us?"

"I'm sending you two because S.H.I.E.L.D. is getting harder and harder to deal with. They've started shutting down projects, laying people off, and basically folding in on itself. On top of all this, I can't deal with a very pissed off god in my office swinging his hammer and threatening to destroy a lot of things unless someone cooperates anymore, so I snapped. I'll admit it, and permitting you to go. I thought you would agree because you were very loyal before, and even though you've been taking a break, I thought you would do this small thing," Fury shrugged.

Oh hell no. He just totally played the loyal and accusation card in one sitting.

I tapped my foot, but he wouldn't let me think about it.

"If you deny, that's fine, but you'll have to face Thor first."

I groaned. "Just a few days, right?"

"Correct."

"Won't even miss anything?"

"That's right."

I huffed. "Fine. When do we leave? And you better stick to your promise."

Fury smirked slightly "Today."

* * *

**Greetings my dear readers.**

**How did you all like Chapter 2? A disappointment? Was it good? Let me know.**

**I promise the exciting stuff will happen in the next chapter that I'll try and post as soon as I can.**

**Thanks again!**

**~Lialioya**


	3. To Asgard And Away

**Hello everyone.**

**Long chapter for today!**

**Yeah, I introduce a few people in this one. It would be wonderful if you all could review and tell me how I did. Did you like this chapter?**

**Some of the terms come from Norse Mythology, so I may not have gotten them 100% accurate, but enjoy anyway.**

**Happy reading!**

**~Lialioya**

* * *

"Bloody hell, it's cold," I muttered to myself. I shivered and tugged my thin but flexible coat that was thrown around my shoulders by Fury at the last second. Emily wore the same thing as I did, coat and all, also including the all-black leotard. It was very uncomfortable, so I got one that wasn't Black-Widow tight and settled for a baggier one.

Thor stood there, waiting until Fury gave the final signal for our leave. Thor was ecstatic about our agreement, but also still a bit angry that it took so long. He shifted his hammer a bit as his long blond hair was whipped back by the violent and harsh wind that was attacking us all.

I looked around at the desert we were in. After a quick flight on a private jet, bringing us literally in the middle of nowhere, we just stood around looking at the sky above our heads.

Fury gave us a handgun each, but I don't know why weren't doing anything. I had a feeling there were a lot of holes in Thor and Fury's stories. I kept my negative thoughts to myself, since the faster we did this, the faster we could be done.

"Are you sure it won't kill them?" Fury asked Thor, as they both looked at the dark and ominous clouds above, but looking beyond that frail skin to the stars themselves.

"I am positive," Thor nodded.

"Have you ever had a mortal in Asgard?"

"No, but it won't be too bad, I don't think. The problem is convincing Heimdall to open the Bifrost to bring me back. He already was pushing his luck when he brought me to earth, yet I'm sure he'll at least do this final thing," Thor said.

"That's not reassuring," Emily muttered.

"Who's Heimdall?" I asked Thor.

He looked down at me from his towering height, and I felt like an insignificant child in his great shadow. On the other hand, I probably was because who knows how old he is. "Heimdall is the gatekeeper of Asgard, and watcher over the nine realms."

I nodded. I hated not knowing things.

"Alright. I expect for those two to return in one piece," Fury told Thor, then backed up a few steps.

Thor briefly glanced at Fury, and called to the sky like a mad man, "Heimdall! Bring us to Asgard!"

There was a prolonged silence as nothing happened.

"Is he going to-" Fury started but was interrupted by a loud earsplitting noise coming from above. I looked up and gawked at the clouds being pushed aside, then hardly noticed the light fizzing around me, bright and blinding until I was in it. I saw Thor, comfortable and relaxed as I freaked out on the inside. A feeling of weightlessness took over me. I seemed to float for second, and I was shocked as millions of blurred stars raced past. Was this the Asgardian way of travel?

If so, it was bloody amazing.

It was over as soon as it began, and my feet met hard and shiny gold-tiled floors with a clang.

I looked up and my mouth fell to the floor.

Asgard.

It is almost inexplicable, especially when I'm trying to form it's beauty into simple words. It is much more beautiful when one sees it with their own awed eyes.

There was the grand palace, surrounded by towns and villages far to numerous to be counted. There was the long Bifrost bridge that Thor tried to explain on the jet ride, which was made up of all the colors I have ever laid eyes on and more. I guessed it was evening, because it was night back on earth, and the sky there was dotted with twinkling stars and constellations I had never seen before. There were luscious greens everywhere. Forests, meadows, everything all on a small island floating in space.

Even after all those adjectives, there is really only one word to explain it:

Asgard.

Thor tapped me on the back, or what I suspected to be an attempt at a tap since it was still a thwack. "It is beautiful, is it not? This is my home."

I looked up at him with saucer-sized eyes. "It's amazing!"

He smiled, and looked at Emily who was also bug-eyed at her surroundings.

A man I suspected to be Heimdall came up to us, and I studied at his heavy and most likely awkward armor that was thick and plaited with gold. He wore a strange helmet, and I subconsciously wondered if all Asgardians wore strange outfits and headgear. Loki obviously did.

I stiffened at even the thought of that crazy lunatics name. Suddenly everything seemed dark. Wasn't this his home as well?

Wasn't he still here somewhere?

"Thor, you and I both know the All-Father will not be happy at all with you bringing these mortals here, especially because of what you have planned for them," Heimdall rumbled in a deep voice.

"I know this full well, my good Heimdall," Thor clapped him on the shoulder, and didn't waver in his joyous mood even when Heimdall didn't do anything friendly in return. "But I must if I shall save the nine realms from the beast that approaches us."

"You plan to slay the beast? With these mortals? I thought you were jesting!" Heimdall looked bewildered. "That monster on the horizon comes closer every moon. It will not be stopped by a few mortals, regardless of their capabilities."

"They are more gifted than the rest, surely you have seen this," Thor argued.

"That one, maybe," Heimdall gestured to Emily. "But her twin? That is most doubtful."

"You are failing to remember that essence you saw make it's way to Midgard all those years ago, for that is what will tip the odds in our favor."

Heimdall sized me up. "Surely she cannot be-"

"I believe she is hosting it," Thor glanced at me. It was irritating to watch them talk when they knew perfectly well I could hear them.

"What?" I asked, but they ignored me. Figures.

"You must ask The Norns to be absolutely certain. Promise me you will do so, because if this Midgardian isn't she will perish in a most horrid way," Heimdall ordered.

"I had already planned it, but I give you my word," Thor smiled again at his friend. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to speak with the All-Father. Is he busy?"

"No, not at the moment, but I'll be sure to keep my vision steered clear of that area. I do not wish to see you be downtrodden," Heimdall went back to his post and stood motionless, looking into worlds unknown.

Thor ushered me and Emily forward. We walked rather hesitantly down the beautiful Bifrost bridge - quite a mouthful - still afraid if we took the wrong step we would fall into oblivion. Thor only laughed.

"You both fear falling?" He asked. I was too busy making sure not to slip to respond.

After what seemed like forever walking with jelly legs to the other side, we reached it. I was too happy not to smile, but it quickly vanished as a crowd of people stopped to stare.

I was suddenly very self-conscious.

You must be thinking I'm rather stupid to think that. _"Melony, you have more important things to watch out for than your looks."_ Come on, if you were there you would as well. I had never quite been deemed 'attractive', but looking at all these beyond gorgeous beings belittling me with just a disdained stare made me rather sheepish.

Thor nodded to them all, despite their shocked and even angry expressions. "Hello, how do you do? I rather like your coat. Lovely day, isn't it? Excuse us, we'll just be on our way."

Thankfully Thor was a prince, I remembered from his boasting, and people politely looked away, back to their source of entertainment. There were a few unhappy whispers but most eyes were glued to a small brown sack tossed over a guard's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It squirmed and I could hear profane words leaking from out of the top.

Thor hurriedly scooped his chance at escape and basically shoved us down a side street, making me forget about the sad lump that was obviously not going quietly.

"Why are there so many people?" Emily asked, pushing away a basket of jewels that was shoved under her nose by a merchant. The sellers here were a lot less interested on what we were, and more focused on if we would buy their stuff. After we were harassed a bit more by sundials, jewelry and even painted rocks (it was then I realized that Asgardian merchants were similar to the ones back on earth) it dawned on them we were in fact _not _interested, and moved on to other targets.

"My father has called all of the farmers, merchants and everyone of Asgard to return as the final procedures for the lock down are being put in place. We are closing to avoid the beast, but with your help we shall go and slay it, and not be cowards," Thor held his head high as we finally broke free of the clutches of the sellers and approached the gates to the palace.

We were grudgingly let in after some not-so-persuasive reasoning from Thor, then he brought his hammer into it and we slipped by unscathed.

I gawked at the golden and grand palace of Asgard that towered above us. Thor walked in front at last, and me and Emily got some time to look at the outside.

"Oh my- I actually don't know what to swear to. We're in the realm of the gods. What does this mean? Do you think they'll be mad because we didn't believe in their religion?" Emily asked.

"Doubtful, but who knows. I can't believe that Thor, the crazy guy swinging his hammer around is actually a god. Goodness, when I first met him I taunted and mocked him," I realized.

___Bloody hell,_I thought.

With some effort we caught up to Thor and tried to match his quick and long strides but failed. We ended up having to sprint as he came closer and closer to the grand hall, since the decorations became more and more lavish with every step.

I nearly tripped over a small gold statue, and I saw Emily run into a massive red silk curtain which as far too big for the window. I went over and untangled her before it could smother her. She appeared disheveled, but we needed to catch up with Thor who had disappeared behind a corner.

We ran after him, and as we turned the corner a sharp slice of pain jolted up my side, and I cringed at the painful reminder that I was out of shape.

Thor briefly glanced at us, and motioned for me and Emily to stand on either side of him. With a big hand Thor pushed open the door and it creaked open, revealing a grand room as huge as a cathedral lined with gold and the most beautiful statues, pillars and throne I had ever seen. Well, I hadn't actually seen any, Google helped me, but it still counts. After a few seconds of my gawking at everything, the figure I hadn't seen on the throne cleared his throat.

I looked to see an extremely old and tired-looking man holding his staff regally and posture straight, his condition obviously not affecting his whole being. He wore a strange helmet, and my suspicions that Asgard was the realm of the fancy helmets were confirmed.

He glared at me with his one eye, the other - or where I suspected the other used to be - covered by a golden eye patch. He heavily leaned on his staff to stand, making him seem like just another old man before he loomed us as we approached making me feel like an insignificant bug in his shadow.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Odin, the All-Father and my father," Thor responded quickly so he could give his full attention to his father.

"Thor," the man growled. "You have disobeyed my orders_, and_ brought two weak mortals to Asgard."

"Father, please, let me explain-" Thor started.

"I do not want excuses," Odin snapped, making Thor wilt. "You broke my law, that no one should leave Asgard. I know of your foolish dreams of slaying this beast even after I assured you it is virtually invincible."

Thor bowed his head, but still said, "I plan to find the ingredients for the binds of Fenrir-"

"Fenrir?" Odin laughed mirthlessly. "Fenrir is gone. We presume he has sided with this beast. As well as Jörmungand, Hel and Sleipnir. All of your accursed brother's children."

"Loki?" Emily whispered to herself. "Whoa, he's a dad?"

"Yes, mortal," Odin coldly turned to my sister. "Loki is a father to four monsters."

"I-I didn't know-" Emily muttered.

"This is exactly why you cannot, ___will_not bring them. They know absolutely nothing of us. They will be of no use on your pathetic quest even if you were going."

I could tell by the smile lines that Odin was probably just having a bad day, weighed down with all of those people, and he was a really good guy most of the time.

Unfortunately as I tried to cool my rising temper I found it really hard to keep being so empathetic.

"But father, these objects have only been found by the dwarves. No Asgardian has found them before, so they will be as clueless as me-"

"No!" Odin yelled at Thor, silencing him as steam almost visibly puffed from Odin's ears. "You are not going, and that is final. Sometimes I can't believe that your armor is so thick that you can't hear what I'm saying to you. Trying to run off with two weak mortals to go find things that don't exist, to fight something that is unconquerable."

"Well, it's better than what you're doing, which may I remind you is nothing," I snapped.

Here's a little thing about me, if you've met me, I'm sure you know this; I have an especially large mouth. I react on impulses, and my impulses told me at that exact moment to snap at Odin like he was a small dog misbehaving.

Yet he wasn't a small dog misbehaving, he was the grand All-Father of all nine realms who clutched his staff like he was going to vaporize me any second.

Thor pushed me back a bit and stepped in front of me to stop the stare-off me and Odin were having. "I apologize, father."

"You bring a mortal who dares to speak back and slander me?" Odin seethed.

"I'm afraid that's not entirely her fault, father," Thor said, still sheepish in the disapproving gaze of his father.

"What are you saying, boy?" Odin snarled, making Thor flinch, but continue.

"You see father, I fear that she may be hosting the essence."

"Preposterous. That was eons ago," Odin said shortly.

"Yet, it applies to her. The rhyme fits. Everything fits! _Eyes as green as the master-"_

"I will not have those words uttered in my realm!" Odin shouted, but he looked curious for a second before returning to his former disbelieving and unimpressed expression. "And if it is true, I shall lock her up as well. I don't need another one running around free."

Thor sagged. He couldn't win an argument with his father.

"I will decide their judgment right now," Odin slammed his staff on the gold, making sparks fly. "They-"

He was interrupted by a sandy-haired god bursting in wearing sandals and what I guessed was a party gown. "I don't mean to interrupt your very important meeting, sire, but the banquet is in twenty minutes, and guests are already arriving."

Odin looked irritated then he nodded. "I forgot. Very well, Aegir, you may begin setting up. I just need a few more minutes."

Aegir nodded then left, closing the door behind him.

Odin turned to us one last time. "I will do this on the next morn. I don't have enough time to properly create a suitable punishment. Thor, you will escort them to the spare room where they will stay the night, then you will come down and enjoy the feast so I can keep an eye on you."

I was about to make another rude remark about how he was punishing us for nothing, but Thor sensed this and practically grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and ran to the door.

Thor put me down after the door swung shut behind us.

"You're a fool!" He shook his head as he pushed me and Emily down the hallway to the 'spare rooms' that Odin had mentioned.

It was strange. When I agreed to this thing, the bigger part of me fully admitted that Thor was insane. Come on. Some type of life that is untraceable? Seriously? It's juts too bizarre to believe fully. Then I wasn't so sure. Why would everyone in Asgard flip over something that doesn't exist?

Though none of that changed my views on whether or not I wanted to fight a big monster. I was absolutely against it.

But everyone had a record of not caring about my opinion.

* * *

It was way past midnight but I could still hear the party loud and clear beneath my feet. I had paced for a bit, but in the end I just ended up sitting in the middle of the floor, tracing the tile's pattern with my finger. Emily had been sent to another room so I was alone, but I liked the solitude even though the voices below were quite annoying.

I thought about what Thor said to both Heimdall and Odin. I 'hosted' the 'essence'. What?

What could I possibly be hosting but not know about? It was confusing as everything in my life.

I remembered the first time I met Thor. He threw me and Loki out of a plane after I had pissed him off by punching him. I recalled how he said he was going to take m to Asgard. And Loki seemed to know what he was talking about, but denied it.

A shiver went through me. Loki was here. Just thinking about that creep made my neck and head hurt where he had hit me many times.

Hopefully I wouldn't have to see him ever again.

I honestly didn't know what I would do if I ever saw him again. Probably faint right there on the spot.

Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, he scares the crap out of me.

The door opened swiftly, I could hear the creak of the hinges as it did so, and I nearly jumped a foot in the air.

I spun around, and saw Thor all dolled up in his formal attire. He obviously escaped the banquet. "Come with me."

"Where are we-"

"I said come. There's no time to explain," Thor opened the door wider and made a sweeping motion with his hand, gesturing I walk through it. I saw Emily beckon me from the hall, impatient as Thor.

I stood up and hurried over.

"What are we doing?" I asked Emily as Thor pulled ahead, forcing us to once again try and keep up.

"I don't really know. He said we had to get someone, then escape without being noticed."

I thought about this as we rushed down halls. I could tell we were going into the ground with the descending staircases, obviously, but also because the temperature dropped drastically. I shivered.

"Who the hell are we getting-" I began, but the air was knocked out of me as I rammed into something.

I bounced back and landed on the ground, groaning and rubbing my head where it had made contact. I stared into the darkness to see what it was I hit when I heard a groan come from it.

Thor heard the commotion and turned around. He was in the flickering torch light, but me, Emily and whoever I had just bumped into were in darkness.

He picked up the torch and walked over, illuminating me and a blond girl who was also lying on the ground, dressed in jeans and a graphic tee, saying 'AC-DC'. The girl groaned again and sat up a bit, looking at me with the clearest blue eyes I had ever seen, saying, "Ow."

I started to glare, but I was shocked.

Another human?

"Is this a welcome back party? 'Hello, glad you're here. Now we'll give you a migraine.'" She got to her feet and I did as well.

"Jârnsaxa?" Thor asked, confused.

"No, try again," she shook her head.

"Imd?"

"Nope."

"Giâlp?"

"Negatory."

"Ulfrûn?"

"For Yggdrasil's sake! No! I'm Atla!" The girl looked exasperated, but this obviously happened a lot.

"Are you human?" Emily asked curiously.

"Oh, far from it. Pure god over here. Yep. The real deal. Huzzah. Throw a party. But to be precise, I'm a wave maiden," she brushed herself off and glanced at me. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have an extremely thick skull?"

"Wave maiden?" I asked her, ignoring her last remark.

"Yeah, one of the nine. Giâlp, Greip, Eistla, Angeia, Ulfrûn, Eyrgiafa, Imd, Jârnsaxa, and me, Atla," the girl counted them all off on her fingers as she did the roll-call.

"Okay," I smiled hesitantly. "We'll just be on our way then-"

"Hey," Atla said. "Where _are _you off to?"

"Nowhere," Thor said quickly, but Atla just laughed.

"So the rumors were true. You can't lie half as well as your brother can. Where are you really off to? You can't lie to me, I've been working with lies ever since I went to Midgard."

I looked her over again. She certainly did look like she was from earth. Was she a run away?

"To the dungeon," Thor muttered quickly, Atla's gaze searing through him. I was surprised that a prince would do that, but I guessed Thor was out of his comfort zone sneaking around.

"Oh, you guys going to break _him _out? Odin won't be very happy at all," Atla teased.

"What do you want from us, Jârns- I meant, Atla?" Thor asked.

"Well, I did catch wind that you were going to try and slay the beast. That sounds like fun, and this place is boring," Atla said mischievously.

"You can't come with us," Thor shook his head.

"Why not?" Atla whined. "You let mortals come with you!"

"They're more powerful than you think-"

"So am I! I caused that tsunami right after you caught that Loki guy! I think you should bring me with you," she nodded as if convincing herself. "Besides, if you wander off, I'll just be left here, unattended to tell someone, like say, the All-Father that you escaped. Then he'll come after you and you won't even make it past the front gate."

Thor pursed his lips together and swung his hammer for a second, weighing his options. Finally he scowled darkly. "You may come."

Atla jumped in the air and high-fived herself. "What are we waiting for? Let's go get 'em!"

Thor spun around and continued to the dungeon. I watched Atla skip down the hall after him, unaffected by the way he glared at her.

"Dungeon?" I mouthed to Emily, who shrugged and shook her head.

We we were going to the dungeon. Okay, wait. I hoped it wasn't who I thought, because I had a very bad idea of who we were breaking out.

Thor hurried to the dungeon doors, and shoved them open with a loud boom. Most of the prisoners were fast asleep, due to the late hour, except for the ones that were annoyed by the noise of the party above.

Thor hesitantly walked up to the last cell at the very end of the long row. I didn't make eye contact with all of the angry gazes that tried to reach me, I was too distracted. I broke out into a cold sweat. No. No, no, no, no.

I peered at Thor as he opened the magic field around the prison that had contained the crazy psychopath I never wanted to see again with a key he obviously stole.

"You know my expectations," Thor told the person who had hopped leisurely out of the cage.

The raven-haired god only gave him a wry grin and scanned the room until his cold green gaze settled on my pale face.

Oh goodness gracious not him.

Loki smiled broadly. "Did you miss me?"


	4. A Not-So-Happy Reunion

"Put him back." Honestly, that was the first thing I felt and said.

"Already?" Loki tilted his head in mock concern. "After five seconds?"

"It's talking to me," I took about five steps back to further myself away from that insane psychotic loony.

"Holy cow, it hasn't even been a minute and you're already freaking out, Mel?" Emily tried to approach me but I backed up from her as well, my eyes wide like a caged animal. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Thor also glared at Loki. "What have you done?"

"I understand he looks kinda creepy, but not I'm-about-to-kill-you-if-you-approach-me kind of creepy," Atla scratched her head, then turned back to watching a prisoner imitate her death.

Loki raised his hands in surrender, but his smirk didn't fade. "I suppose she is simply remembering our get to know each other time."

"Didn't you push her out of a plane?" Emily narrowed her eyes, but Loki was only amused by her act of wannabe toughness. "And beat the living snot out of her?"

"I cannot confirm nor deny those accusations."

I really wanted to curl into a ball and make sure I never saw Loki again, but the pained expression on Thor's face made me try and regain some composure. Loki liked submission and fear, and that made me angry. I started to recall why I normally fought with him, and hated his guts. I decided to let him remember some of that, too.

"Well, in my personal opinion the biggest crime he ever committed was being the worst asshole I've ever met," I shrugged as if Loki's loathing glare didn't want to make me shiver. "Yeah, I can bounce back too."

He did a mocking double-take. "Oh, the little mortal's regained her nerve?"

"Damn straight."

Loki took a warning step forward, but Thor hauled him back. "Loki, you lay a hand on her, or anyone and I swear you'll regret it."

Loki gave me a look that said I'll-kill-you-later as Thor turned to me.

"And you, Melony, know very well who my brother is. You know better than to taunt him. Keep that up, and I'll make you regret it as well."

I was disgruntled but didn't doubt for a second he wouldn't follow through with what he said.

"I honestly don't know what will be worse," Emily grumbled as we started to head out of the chamber. "Melony shriveling from the sight of Loki, or them bickering and ripping each others heads off."

I was about to respond when I stumbled over my own two feet. I swear it was like my right foot swung to meet the left. I swayed but straightened. I gave Loki a withering glare and he just smiled pleasantly.

Atla was already skipping to the exit, with me and Emily walking behind, then Thor and Loki lagging slightly.

"You're dead," Emily said in the flattest voice when she knew Loki was out of earshot. "Just had to go screwing around and making enemies with the craziest cat out there, didn't you?"

I didn't respond, which made my sister groan.

"Bloody hell-"

"I like gossiping too!" Atla was suddenly beside us, making me start then roll my eyes at the goddess. Wave maiden. Whatever the heck she was.

"Talking about me, are we?" Loki had wandered up beside me, too close for me not to recoil slightly.

"You should be the god of pissing people off, know that?" I gave an aggravated sigh.

"It's not good that we haven't even started on this quest and this drama has started. Not good _at all," _Emily sighed as Loki sneered at me.

"And you should be the poster child for all thing vexing and useless," he said.

"You honestly cannot even begin to understand how much I want to-" I was just about to express my feelings, when something Emily said jolted me.

"Wait a second. Em, we're going back, remember? We aren't doing this-"

"Mel, take a look around you. This isn't just a come and leave side mission anymore. If we can, we'll help them because they nedd our help."

I looked at her in disbelief.

Wasn't I supposed to be the one that says that kind of thing?

Thor's nostrils flared at me. "You plan on abandoning us? After I committed treason to get you here?!"

I opened my mouth then closed it. I was on the spot, we had stopped moving and my mind was blank.

"You really are as naive as I thought, aren't you?" Loki laughed slightly. "You can't just waltz out of Asgard without Heimdall-"

"Maybe she can, brother," Thor told him. Loki turned venomous at the use of the term 'brother', but didn't speak. "If she is hosting it, then who can guess what she knows."

"Her?" Loki actually laughed sincerely. "The pathetic runt of a sister? You really have out done yourself. Besides, that was so long ago, far before even the Norns thought about her existence."

"Apparently not," Thor shook his head grimly and gave me an empathetic look, as if he wasn't ready to kill me moments before. "I mourn if it is so."

"Hey, hate to interrupt your totally random chit-chat, but someone's going to notice cat-brain's gone, and then the alarm will be raised, so let's focus on getting out, then settle brotherly issues later. Okay? Alright. Let's go," Atla said cheerfully, walking between Thor and Loki, then beckoned us to follow her down the hall.

"Where did you pick up the obnoxious one?" Loki asked Thor.

Thor shook his head and said with a little growl, "Let's go."

I followed Atla alone, but could feel everyone's stares burning at the back of my head.

* * *

Almost there.

We were almost bloody there.

But even though most of the guests were either drunk, asleep or boasting, they still managed to piece together that there was supposed to be a lunatic in the cage.

So they rang the alarm.

My head spun around wildly as a loud and sharp bell sound rang through the air. I turned back to see Loki smirking slightly and Thor looking grim and panicked.

"Oh, we'll never make it out," Loki laughed at Thor to his face. "You're plans always have been horrible."

Thor looked like he wanted to smack Loki (don't we all at some point?) but just said calmly enough.

"You'll get the worst penalty if we're caught. You'll probably be forced to an even greater punishment. And I'll just say you were influencing me the entire time."

Loki whistled and looked impressed. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"We need to get out, and fast," Atla gestured to the shouts and clanking coming from where we had been. "Or else we're toast."

"Loki," Thor waited for his brother to react. To do something. Anything.

"I don't know what to do. It's not like I can magically get us all out-"

"Don't start. Show us one of your passages. I know you have billions."

"I-"

"Loki. _Now._"

Thor pointed at Loki with his hammer, but Loki only cracked another grin. "You really are a master of persuasion."

Thor didn't lower his hammer, as the guards became unnervingly close. Loki smiled wider.

"Loki!" Emily yelled frantically as the guards, sober enough, ran around the corner and spotted us.

"If I had a coin for every time I've heard my name today-"

Loki's words were cut off as he abruptly turned and faced the blank wall. Brilliant.

He raised his hand, now dead serious. With a calculated wave a small opening appeared, and he quickly stepped into it and vanished.

So did the door.

"That bloody asshole-" I curled my hands into fists, since the Asgardians took away my handgun.

"Not coming?" Loki's head appeared to come straight out of the solid rock as he asked us innocently. Thor hesitantly touched the wall next to his brother's head and it vanished.

Soon Thor stepped in and was gone as well.

Atla looked almost giddy as she followed him, muttering something about the situation being Vegas all over again.

Loki turned to me and Emily. "This is the first _and last _time I'll be willing to save your sorry lives, only because Thor would end mine if I didn't. Are you coming?"

Emily stepped in and vanished but I took one last look at the guards who were nearly upon me.

"I'm about to leave you standing there, mortal. I'll give you five seconds."

I made up my mind.

I leaped in just as they reached us, and Loki sealed his portal. We were safe.

For the moment.

"Where does this thing go?" I asked, coughing as dust filled my lungs.

Loki chuckled softly. "You'll find out."

I stayed silent as he lit a small fire in his palm and motioned us to start down a yawning tunnel.

None of us moved.

"You're all so kind, you know that? Just overwhelming me with your trust," Loki rolled his eyes and started walking away. I knew if we didn't follow he would leave us, so I was surprisingly the first one to do so.

"Since when were you the one to jump at the chance to follow Loki?" Emily asked as she caught up to me.

"Since I became aware that unless we pick up the pace and follow the crazy lunatic, we'll be left here to rot. And he wouldn't have a problem with that."

I could here Loki laughing ahead of me, and huffed.

I didn't like him getting what he wanted.

After what seemed like hours of wandering, I was starting to actually think that Loki was just leading us off to oblivion when I heard a self-satisfied "Ta-da!"

He grunted and heaved his weight onto a slab of rock that gave way and revealed the clear night sky. We filed out and looked back at the Asgardia palace far behind us. The Bifrost was in front, and we were clear to go.

"How the hell did you know that was there?" I asked Loki, who had started towards the Bifrost.

"I have my ways." He didn't even look back to acknowledge my existence, so I followed him. Again.

This was already getting really bloody old.

I still carefully placed my steps all the way across until we reached the end. Then I looked up to see Heimdall frowning at our little party.

"Thor," Heimdall seemed like he wanted to scold his friend, but shook his head and skipped right to the point. "I cannot allow you to get through."

"Why not?" Thor asked him, panic seeping in ever so slightly through his tone. If Heimdlall wouldn't let us pass, the guards would be there soon ad would get us-

"Because-"

"No. No excuses. You _will _let us through."

I was not the only one to be surprised as Atla pushed her way forward, with a demanding tone.

Or that Heimdall did a double take.

"But-"

"No."

"I can't just-"

"Heimdall, listen real good now. I am your mother. Well, one of them. And in the mother code of conduct, it says I can still tell you what to do, no matter your age. Open the Bifrost, please."

Heimdall grumbled a bit, shifted slightly as Loki didn't bother to hide his snicker.

"I will regret this," Heimdall groaned, the stare-off with Atla not in his favor. He swung his sword and plunged it into the slot.

"There's a good boy," Atla obviously didn't know the difference between a son and a dog.

It didn't even matter.

We were off.

We had escaped.

But then what?


	5. The Wise, The Powerful, and The Gifted

**Hello, all.**

**Fifth chapter, and I'm going to give away a lot, but don't fret. It's not over yet.**

**I would honestly like to know if Melony is a Mary-Sue. I ask this because after this chapter she may seem like one, but I plead that you read the entire thing and tell me what you think.**

**Happy reading!**

**~Lialioya**

* * *

How helpful, Heimdall. Of course you just send us to the smallest, most alien moon I have ever seen in my life.

I am _definitely _not giving a certain gatekeeper a Christmas card.

Loki was almost doubled over he was laughing so hard, and eventually had to sit down on a rock and calm down a bit. Thor was also chuckling, while me, Emily and Atla sort of watched their spasms of laughter with curiosity and concern.

"I suppose I missed the punch line," said Emily while halfheartedly kicking a rock.

"A foot," Loki breathed whilst still laughing. "He had a foot on her but still he bent over backwards to obey Mummy's demand!"

"Heimdall is a very good little boy," Atla nodded her head, agreeing with herself.

"Honestly, when's the last time you've seen him?" I asked.

"I really don't remember," Atla replied, voice dwindling off in thought.

I looked around, trying to find a way to get off this place.

"So," Loki wiped a tear from his eyes as he stood up, suddenly impatient. "Where now?"

"Now we go to the Norns, to see if our journey will end on a good note, and for extra helpful knowledge," Thor also cleared his throat and straightened.

"Well, you're the valiant leader," Loki made a sweeping motion with his arms. "Lead on."

Thor gave Loki a I'm-still-your-brother-and-I-can-still-beat-you-up look, one that I knew only too well from Emily, then said, "That's where you come in. I know you are familiar with these parts."

Loki seemed to debate on either laughing again or looking dumbfounded. "You broke a criminal out of prison so he can lead you to places you've never been? How thick is your skull?"

"Hey, he's not the only one who knows these parts," Atla piped up. "I ran away and was wandering around here, then I decided to go to Midgard. Then the Vegas incident happened, but the bottom line is I know this place."

Loki scoffed. "You're going to trust a wave maiden to guide you?"

"Well, it does sound a bit more appealing than following the god of mischief and lies, for goodness sake," Atla said, exasperated.

"That _does _sound a lot better," Emily nodded.

"I concur wholeheartedly," I agreed, earning a death stare from Loki.

"Yes! I got the job! Majority wins!" Atla pumped her fists in the air, then pointed behind her. "Exit's that way."

"Looks like you just demoted." Frankly, saying that comment and knowing how much it stung was totally worth the venomous glare I received as a reply.

"I swear, mortal, if you knew the colorful ways I'm planning on killing you-"

"That's enough," Thor stepped in and started to follow Atla, cutting off Loki's threat.

I shrugged nonchalantly, and started to wander over to where they were going, even though I didn't see any escape from this abandoned moon. Loki had a hard time following, and I could almost sense his mental and physical struggle of not killing me at that moment.

"Therapy," I muttered to myself. "That guy needs therapy."

"You need a rope around your neck," Loki hissed, suddenly beside me.

"You need duct tape on your mouth."

"You need to learn some respect."

"I only give respect to sane non-psychotic people."

"I _will _teach you a lesson unless you take back your words in the next heartbeat-"

"Melony, you really need to learn to step off sometimes," Emily turned, with disapproval dripping in her voice.

"Well sorry if I don't want to get pushed around by some loony cat," I retorted indignantly. I could hear Loki laughing at me mockingly.

"Still following your big sister around with your tail between your legs?" Loki smirked, and I snapped.

"I've had enough!" I swung a punch at where Loki was taunting me a second ago, but my enraged fist only met air as he disappeared, making me snarl in frustration.

"Yes, you've had enough," Emily swooped in and grabbed my arm, pulling me ahead and sandwiching me between herself and Thor to wait for my temper to cool.

"Here we go!" Atla giddily pointed to a nearby rock, and attached to that was a rocky bridge leading into nowhere.

"Are we just going to fall off the edge?" Emily asked bluntly.

"No," Atla said, but didn't offer any further explanation.

"Right," Emily swallowed.

Atla, surprising me and Emily, took a running start then just jumped off of this rock to the next, leaping high enough to be sucked into the other moon's pull. She turned and waited for us to follow.

Thor went with ease, but my sister and I were less certain we could make the jump.

Emily tried, nervous but she made it look extremely easy. Then it was my turn.

"Don't fall off the edge, because then I won't get the chance to push you." I curled my hands into fists at Loki's voice but ignored him. I had to focus. I took a running start, just like Atla, then when I was at a speed I was comfortable with, I propelled myself in the air.

At first there was a scary feeling of weightlessness and I feared that I hadn't jumped high enough and was going to float off into oblivion. Then to my relief I was violently thrust to land, making contact with the hard earth with a loud thump.

Loki followed closely behind, and we were soon off again.

Until we walked a bit to the edge.

"Don't be a scardy-cat," Atla teased Emily for her wary expression. "You just have to follow me."

"Promise you won't lead us off to no where and kill us?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, that's too much work."

"Alright, I guess-"

"Great!"

Atla took a step back and vanished, and though she hesitated, Emily quickly followed. Then me, then Thor and Loki.

Bad idea.

At least in my opinion.

We arrived in a cave-filled landscape, with -you guessed it- caves literally everywhere. We arrived in a cave, and that cave was in a cave. There was some serious cave-ception going on in there.

Atla still lead on, and I grudgingly followed, that whole place giving me the creeps.

We stumbled on in silence, until a soft melody of voices reached our ears from a cave that seemed to be in the middle of the whole swirling pattern of caves that I hadn't seen until I climbed upon a higher rock.

"Dude," Emily whistled under her breath, awed by everything around her.

"No time, they're down there." Atla rushed ahead, now really eager.

We cautiously followed, the precarious decent making our speed slower than if we were on flat ground. Finally we reached the cave where the splendid singing was coming from.

We entered the cave, but of course I first smacked my head off of the rock. I rubbed it painfully, then was shocked into silence.

Three of the most beautiful humanoid beings I had ever seen in my entire life sat next to a harp making melodies that pleased my ears. The three women wore pure white and almost cloud-like dresses that swirled out around them, complimenting their perfect skin and silky hair.

In fact all of us were awed, even Loki, though he tried to hide it.

The women, or goddesses, ended their song suddenly and their pure amber gold eyes settled on us.

"Hey," Atla nodded to them.

"Greetings, Atla. You come bearing others," The middle one spoke, the tallest and the most beautiful than the other two, though that was like saying a reflection is better than the actual image.

"Yeah. This is-"

"Thor Odinson, Loki Laufeyson, Emily Robertson and Melony Robertson. We are aware of their names. We are waiting to see if one has the courage to speak their question," the leftmost one piped up.

"Skuld is correct," said the rightmost one.

"Since you know our names, are you going to introduce yourselves?" Emily asked.

"Skuld," pointing to her left, "Uror," pointing to her right, "Dis," the middle one finally gestured to herself. "Now, my heroes, will you speak?"

"Will our quest have good fortune?" Thor stepped forward, bowing to them while asking his question. The silence before hung heavy around us, and I knew that the Norns were creatures that even the gods feared by the way Thor and Loki stayed silent.

"Good fortune as in ending or along the way?" Dis replied with a question.

"Both."

"The perfect balance," Uror nodded to Thor, as if she was making perfect sense. "Of darkness and light will seep it's way through the passage of this journey."

This is just bloody perfect. They speak in riddles.

Thor tried a different approach. "Will all of us make it out alive?'

"One never truly dies, if they are loved too deep for death to reach," Skuld smiled.

"You avoid the question that makes your heart grow weary every moment. Speak, Thor Odinson," Dis pressed, even though not a trace of pressure was in her voice. She just had that impact.

"This . . . essence that was lost long ago. Is it inside the mortal girl?" Thor went to one knee in front of the beings who didn't bat an eye. It seemed they were waiting for him to ask since the beginning of time.

For all I knew they might have.

"That is for you to decide," Dis replied, making Thor bow his head even lower. "But how can you decide when you don't know the full story?"

"You cannot," Skuld shook her head.

"So we shall show you," Uror confirmed.

"This tale began millennia ago, because of the meddling of the infamous Loki the Mischief Maker," Dis waved her hand, and played a movie-image inside each of our head.

So before Loki could protest, like I knew he wanted to, we were gone.

* * *

_"It was a night like any other in the realm of Vanaheim, the villages quiet and settling down for the evening in front of a grand fire."_

_I could hear Dis' voice as I watched the sun set over beautiful rolling hills. I saw little huts and houses nestled on plains and meadows far away, but my interest was on one tall cloaked man slipping around the mountain after checking if everything was clear. _

_"But something unusual was going to happen that night."_

_A few minutes after the man had disappeared, and the landscape was drained from all light, I saw darker shadows, the silhouettes of men go and follow him._

_"That night was the time for revenge."_

_Suddenly we were walking alongside the man, his long strides making him move faster across the plain. He spared a quick glance back, and his emerald eyes filled with horror when he noticed he was being followed. The man was Loki._

_"Look what we have here," a man stepped in front of the god, looming above him but not intimidating Loki in the slightest. Instead the mischievous god smiled at the angry people surrounding him._

_"Ah, Yoyslk. Fancy seeing you here-"_

_"Don't move your tongue again, princeling. Or else I'll cut it out," Yoyslk advanced on Loki, but neither put down their hoods._

_"You owe us a fortune, Silver Tongue," the nearest man pulled back his hood to reveal a scarred and merciless face smeared in blood and hate. "And we intend for you to pay us back."_

_"I don't recall-" Loki shrugged, but even his voice angered the men._

_"Silence!" Yoyslk struck Loki across the face, making the mischief maker's hood fall off from the swift punch to the jaw. Loki looked at the sky a moment, then lowered his gaze again to look at the enraged man. "Tricking us to make bets on hopeless things, stealing our wallets with those airy fingers, and making us tipsy with your magic so you could escape."_

_"No running will save you now," I realized there was a women in the group, but her voice made shivers go up my spine. I knew that voice, and when she pulled back her hood to reveal a square jaw and hateful green eyes I recognized her face. _

_The women from my nightmares._

_The killer of my mother._

_"We recon a prince will be worth a lot, especially the runt prince of Asgard," Yoyslk stepped forward. "The condition that we return you in will be a minor setback in price, but totally worth it."_

_They advanced on Loki, and the prince finally realized he was in big trouble. Yoyslk snatched his cape to prevent him from leaving, and fear flashed through Loki's eyes. _

_"We found out how to use a bit of magic," Yoyslk said evilly, bloodlust overflowing in his expression. "Just enough for you to feel pain, and make sure you stay to endure it."  
_

_I had to look away after the first blow, making Loki double over in pain, then being kicked to the ground. _

_I was trembling with my eyes closed, the sounds of Loki's pain seeping into my ears even though I covered them._

_"That night Loki Laufeyson was beaten and broken and left to die on the riverbed, the attackers no longer wanting money," Dis narrated. "They only wanted to have the pleasure of knowing that Loki was dead."_

_I opened my eyes, curiosity overcoming me, and I saw Loki, dying near a stream, his blood leaking into the water and making it turn the same color. He groaned through cracked lips and rolled over heavily to retch some more blood into the water. It was a horrible sight and I couldn't believe it was before my eyes._

_"Loki knew he was going to die if he didn't take immediate action," Dis said. "In the moment, every possible idea rushing in his head, and all but one could save him."_

_Loki, hands shaking and color fading from his being, sloppily undid the tattered and bloody cloak and shirt that stuck to his skin sickeningly. He began to mutter under his breath, faltering and gasping in pain every once in a while, but too desperate to truly feel the pain. _

_"Turning to dark magic like he always does, he remembered a highly unpredictable spell that would cure his body and all wounds that covered it."_

_Loki continued mumbling the spell, and his hands got stronger and he stopped stuttering as much. It was clear he was growing stronger. _

_"But the spell was dark magic."_

_Loki sat up, and took a deep breath, marveling his cured body._

_"And it wanted part of his soul in return."_

_Loki jolted suddenly like he had been struck again, the pain unexpected and brutal. He clawed the ground in pain while gasping. His eyes bulged with surprise and panic at the sudden agony._

_"And so it took it's bounty by force."_

_Loki took in a deep breath, wheezing profoundly and his back arching, then violently coughed up a swirling green essence. _

_Loki's chest was heaving and sweat was dotted on his brow, but he was alright, and he watched with curiosity part of himself drift away with the wind. The real pain hit him like a sledgehammer and his eyes rolled to the back of his head while slumping forward and passing out in the sand. _

* * *

_"The tale does not end there, no. Many years later, but still long ago, a greedy spirit came to us hungrily after word had reached her ears from tortured victims that part of the powerful Loki Odinson, as he was known then, roamed free. So she wanted to claim it." Dis said to us._

_The square-jawed women flung off her hood impatiently and walked into the same Norn cave where we stood in the present. She interrupted the Norns rudely and they steadily stared right through her._

_"Greetings. What troubles you?" Uror said to the spirit._

_"I hear that a massive jackpot of power is drifting around. Where can I get it?" The women was irking the Norns, and it was visible in their scorned expressions. THey were always treated with respect, murderer or not._

_"The essence you speak of-" Dis started to the spirit._

_"Whatever. Where is it?" _

_"-Can not be taken," Dis continued, struggling to keep a calm demeanor. "It is given."_

_"Who was it given to?" The spirit said impatiently._

_"_Eyes as green as the master,

Given as a gift, now more,

To save them from disaster,

Or bring them both to Hel's door._"_

_"I hate poetry. Now, who got it?" The spirit was seriously starting to tick the Norns off, and that comment just blew their temper._

_"Listen you ignorant pig," Skuld snapped. "It isn't so simple."_

_"Does that mean I got it?" The spirit looked bored, making them even angrier. Angry enough for them to prove her wrong._

_"No!" Uror, who had stayed silent suddenly exploded. "It went to Midgard!"_

_The Norn covered her mouth in shame as the the two gave her a disapproving glare. Yet it was worth it to see the spirit's face contort in fury. _

_"Then who was it?! Was it that stupid wave maiden that went to Midgard?" The spirit spoke of Atla, and I realized how old she must be._

_The Norns turned away from the spirit suddenly, too annoyed to trust themselves not to spill anything else._

_But they created fate._

_They knew that they would eventually tell her who it was. _

_It was simply creating the web of fate._

_"I'll kill her and get it-"_

_"You stupid oaf!" Dis yelled. "It's not her! It's not you! It' no Asgardian!" _

_With an angry wave of her hand an image appeared in front of her. I recognized it and my heart stopped._

_No._

_No, no no, no!_

_A little child, stroking a doll, enviously watching her sister earn her relative's attention on their joint birthday. She looked down at the mangy wreck of fabric, mangled and wrinkled from tears. She put a strand of her firetruck red hair behind her ear and whispered numbly to herself, "Happy birthday, Melony."_

* * *

My heart nearly stopped.

Bloody effing hell.

My jaw dropped to the floor and my eyes bugged out.

"For Yggdrasil's sake, why?" Loki looked like he wanted to kill someone, which in retrospect wasn't that odd of an emotion. Except that I felt the same way.

"There is the beginning of the tale. Now, the rest is up to you," Dis looked at the astonished faces staring at her with a tranquil expression.

"You have _got_ to be joking," I said, absolutely refusing to put two and two together.

"But we are not."

"So, Melony has a part of Loki inside of her?" Emily said simply. "That's crazy!"

"You know what's crazy? Pizza Palooza no longer giving out two for five dollar Tuesdays. This I can actually believe," Atla spoke up. "I mean, am I the only one who noticed how creepily alike they are?"

"We're not alike at all!" I protested. "Besides, the weird prophecy thing didn't apply to me."

"Really? Then why do you both have green eyes, like the Norns said, why was it given to you, the twin who just happened to not have any capabilities like her sister?" Atla said. "And why has Loki not killed you yet? If it was anyone else, they'd be a carcass by now."

"_What?_" Me and Loki say simultaneously.

"See? Proves my point exactly," Atla nodded to herself.

"Indeed," Uror agreed, making my heart fill with dread.

"Why me?" I groaned, covering my face. The Norns had already earned my respect, and if they agreed with this notion, hell, they were the creators of fate. They saw this coming.

But I sure as hell didn't.

"Because Loki and your paths would cross," Dis smiled as if everything was alright. _Everything was not alright!_

"That doesn't mean anything!"

"We wanted to see how he would react for one, and second, it was the great tree's plan."

"Well, I'll tell you this; he did not react in a very polite manner!" I nearly tore my hair out. My gut instinct told me what they were saying was true, but I found that hard to believe, but my gut was always right. "He bloody pushed me out of a plane, tortured me, throttled me three times, and tried to kill me so much I lost count!"

"Crap," Emily grabbed my shoulders harshly. "You are not, I repeat, _you are not _going to freak out again."

I shook my head again and again. "No."

Emily desperately turned to the Norns. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She will be fine," Dis reassured. "It will just be hard for her."

"Why is _he _not flipping out?" Emily jerked her head to Loki, who was cursing profoundly.

"It's harder for Melony for many reasons," Skuld started. "When she first met Loki, she was fragile and unstable. Having someone come and cause so much trauma made a lasting impression on her."

Emily glanced at me, but I was too busy denying everything that was happening. I was going to wake soon. This was a nightmare. This was not happening.

"Within her, it lay silent for most of her life, but when he was thrust into her life, it started to stir. She suddenly became spastic, more like Loki. Did you notice any unusual behavior?"

"Well, she did fly off to Germany after getting advice that he might be there, by a guy she didn't trust," Emily said, recalling what I had told her. "And she started to break into places and wander around, snooping into people's stuff."

"Indeed, but that was more her actual personality," Dis shrugged. "He just became sort of an obsession for her. Atla is correct, they are very much alike, because he in turn was drawn to her. But only because he sensed something amiss, yet not putting the loose ends together because the probability of that was one in a billion."

"How did I miss this?" Emily looked between me and Loki.

"Unfortunately, no one cared enough about either of them to seriously infer. We are kindly enlightening you," Uror said bluntly.

I hugged myself as a shiver ran through me. Suddenly I needed answers. "Can I talk to them alone?"

The group was surprised, but the Norns nodded and waited for them to leave. All but one.

"Loki, you must stay."

Effing hell, why do we have to interact so much now?

"Speak, Melony."

"After I first met him," I gestured to Loki, while I knelt in front of them. My mind was spinning but everything was starting to make sense. Everything had a horrible rightness to it, now I just had to confirm. Even though I was still halfheartedly fighting the idea. The more they spoke the more they convinced me. "I had a strange dream."

"Yes, indeed," Dis recalled. "You saw his past."

I looked up at Loki strangely, and he was confused.

"You saw when he was just a babe, left alone for sacrifice at a temple. After the great battle of the Asgardians against the Joutons I do believe."

"But why?"

"We cannot tell you everything, Melony. Some battles you must fight on your own. Some mountains you must climb unaided. There will come a day where you must stand alone alongside your beliefs, and strike the final blow yourself."

My eyes were filled with confusion, but she looked back with unyielding knowledge, and I knew she was right. Though I didn't exactly know why.

"You should know better than anyone that the ones who miss out get the best rewards in the end," Skuld suddenly morphed her figure into that of the burly janitor.

I gasped and she just nodded.

"We will see you again, Melony. Sooner than you think, but for now you must all go and complete your journey," Uror and Skuld bid us a farewell.

"Goodbye, Melony. And let Yggdrasil's branches guide your way!" Dis called as a strange mist filled the cave. She sounded like she was miles away.

I stood up, and watched as the fog swirled and swirled, then suddenly started to leak out of the cave.

And all that was left in the cave was me and Loki, hearts heavy from the truth.

* * *

**Second author's note. **

**It sucked, didn't it. :'(**

**Feedback, I need it. Let me know if I should change this chapter.**

**Reviews are love.**

**~Lialioya**


	6. Nidavellir

**Well, here's the chapter where they get started on their quest! Just for future reference, I will be mentioning a lot of things from actual norse mythology, but I will be putting an equal amount of things that I just make up. If you're interested in knowing the difference, PM me and I'll gladly tell you.**

** I would like to know as a side note, what are your thoughts on Melony?**

**Long chapter for the slow update time. Forgive me please! *crawls away crying***

**~Lialioya**

* * *

My first instinct was to kick something, so I took aim and sent a rock flying to the other side of the cave. "Effing hell."

"Is that what you do to calm your temper?" Loki mocked. "Kick things?"

"I can kick you, too."

"If the thought is processed for even a millisecond, I will cut off your leg."

"Goodness gracious, did I ever tell you how much of a nice guy you are?"

"Did I ever tell you how irritating you are?"

"Guys?" Atla peaked in, as me and Loki had a stare down, which I regret to inform you he was wining, but come on, he had like a foot on me! "We kind of need to get going, so if you can settle weird soul buddy get to know each other time later, that would be great."

I give Atla a strange look. "Soul buddy?"

"Yeah, you guys are now the soul buddies." Atla held up her hands in defeat at me and Loki's mixed glares. "And you guys say you are not alike! You certainly glare the same. You two should get married."

I gave her an incredulous look. I also found that the urge to walk over and smack her upside the head was extremely hard to smother.

"Alright, I'm out," Atla disappeared as I almost felt the smoke come from my ears.

Instead of staying in the rather cramped and empty cave, I stomped out and was hit by a rock.

I was fazed for only a second before turning and glaring at my sister who was whistling feverishly in an attempted relaxed manner.

"What was that for?"

"I wanted to see if-" Emily started, the stopped, her head sagging in defeat. "I honestly don't know."

"Serves you right," Loki emerged from the cave as well. "You were kicking around rocks, so they took revenge and hit you."

I ignored Loki's vexing comment and turned to Thor, who was once again anxious to get going. "Where to now?"

"Now we go to Nidavellir," Thor said, ready for us to follow without question, which was never going to happen.

"Wait, Nida-what?" I asked, certain he was gargling on rocks or something.

"I swear," Emily muttered. "This guy is like Map from Dora the Explorer." Then she proceeded to hum the Map song under her breath.

"Nidavellir," Thor spoke as if he was talking to a child, and he didn't know how much that chafed me. "The realm of the dwarves."

I didn't like this new way he was treating me at all. Just because in the past I let Loki walk all over me doesn't mean that Thor can pick up where his brother left off. Or join him, whichever. Regardless, it did not appeal to me in the slightest and I was not going to take it.

"Alright." I said in a very perturbing way. "Why are we going there?"

Thor looked indignant at my tone, but replied. "To find out if the Gleipnir is constructible."

"So you're saying." I could really tell my provoking voice was making him grind his teeth, but like the risky fool I am I kept talking. "You went through all of this trouble to get us here and everything, and are still not one hundred percent sure it is able to be crafted?"

"Know your place," Thor growled at me threateningly, but I only raised my chin in scorn.

"We're not in Asgard any more, and I do believe you were the one who requested me to come."

Thor looked as if I ruffled him the wrong way. "You were a mere tag along."

"And apparently you're just a fool taking a stab in the dark!"

"Silence you mortal-" Thor snapped, his irascible nature bubbling for a second before he calmed down.

"What the bloody hell is with you?" As Emily's rather hard punch winded me, it was like all of my nettled emotions vanished. "First Odin, then Loki, now Thor? Are you actually trying to get yourself killed?"

I rubbed the spot where she had hit, and merely scowled in reply. In reality, I was normally not that quick to snap, but it was almost an instinct. It was weird as hell, I'll tell you that.

"My, my," Loki drawled from the cave he was leaning on, where he had watched the fight unravel with undeniable interest. "Looks like the mortal worm does have a death wish."

Before I could round on him, Emily stopped me by putting an arm between me and that galling prince. "Don't even bloody think about it."

I snorted through my nose, crossing my arms and looking off to the distance, wanting to be back at home where no stupid Asgardian princes could mock me, and I could sit in companionable silence and read a book or watch a movie. I wished to be doing anything but stay there for the beginning of that stupid and irrational quest where people lashed me right, front and center.

There was always this utter emptiness inside of me, ever since I realized that I wasn't the favored twin. I was always 'The Twin'. Not Melony, no. Never. I wasn't important enough to be called something that casual. I was a burden, a tag along, and basically the little surprise that had popped out to my unknowing mother, who was too busy celebrating that she had a girl to worry about how many girls she was having.

Yet somehow I managed that hard life of rejection, finding the best in silence and excitement in tranquility that I had managed to find in my small break for university where I was my own person. I had grown used to being a shadow, and even though I grew bitter because of it, no one noticed. No one got close enough to know anything about me. Not that my middle name was Kate, not that I was secretly scared of airplanes, not that all I ever really wanted to be in life was a doctor so I could save people and make my life worthwhile.

My motto in life is if you never let anyone get close, they can never break you.

"How are we going to get to Nidavellir from here?" Atla asked Thor.

"Loki will take us there," Thor said simply, while turning to his brother.

"Oh really." Loki looked at his brother, sneering. "I don't believe I agreed to anything."

"You don't have to agree," Thor said sternly. "I am telling you to do so, and so you shall."

"Are you going to make me?" Loki challenged, suddenly serious and deadly, leaning forward without a trace of humor in his eyes.

"I don't have to," Thor sounded so sure of himself, and the rest of us, including Loki, were trying to figure out why.

"Always so full of yourself," Loki hissed. I noticed that he did it an awful lot, and wondered if he had this secret connection to snakes or something. "What makes you think in the next heartbeat I won't disappear, never to be seen again? You really are a fool for releasing me."

"You won't leave," Thor's voice was almost smug. "Because that would mean leaving her behind."

Surely when he pointed his hammer at me I was not the only one to be completely bewildered. I pointed to my chest in disbelief. "Me?!"

"Yes," Thor seemed to have let our argument slide as he nodded at me, and I could tell why from the look of hatred on Loki's face. It seemed Loki's displeasure and defeat made Thor almost blithe. It was a little sick, but at the same time I also relished the stormy look on Loki's face. "He would never leave."

Loki's face turned horribly sour as he snuck his blade back up his sleeve where it had slid out when he was looking for a fight, but it obviously wasn't necessary anymore. I was still in shock, and not to mention profoundly confused. "Would you mind explaining please?"

Thor seemed more than happy to. "You see, with a part of him inside of you, he is now extremely vulnerable."

I motioned for him to continue, not understanding the full jist of the situation.

"Because when you die, with part of his soul inside of you, he also dies."

I straightened in disbelief. "You're joking."

"I would not joke about such a thing," Thor gave Loki a side glance, to see his brother angrily sulking yet still having composure. "Especially since now Loki will have to grudgingly make sure that the part of him inside of you does not perish, therefore making sure you don't perish."

"So when I die, he dies?"

"Correct."

I smacked my own face to see if I was dreaming, surprising everyone around me. After I blinked a few times I still was at the weird rock place, so I decided that as strange, bizarre, unlikely and a bunch of other adjectives this situation was, it was happening.

"Just the thought makes me want to commit suicide," I said, earning an ill - tempered glare from Loki.

"If you even think about it, mortal-" Loki snarled in warning.

"That's enough," Thor Intervened before things could get serious, but I could tell Loki's threat was something along the lines of chain-you-to-a-chair-and-let-you-rot-in-a-dungeon-for-the-rest-of-eternity.

I looked at Thor with new respect. Despite everything that annoyed me about him, he was actually quite clever for thinking up that one. If there's two things I know about Loki for absolute certain, it's that he is totally evil and crazy and wants everyone to kneel, but aside from that, I know for certain that he always thinks about himself, and always is trying to save his own sorry skin. I decided Thor was actually a pretty okay guy after all.

"Now, then," Thor turned to his brother who gave him a ferocious glare. "If you'll take us to Nidavellir, that would be extremely helpful. We have wasted enough time as it is."

Yet for Loki old villainous habits die hard, so before he used his magic he gave his brother a threat. "Mark my words, son of Odin. One day you won't be able to protect the little mortal worm, and one day I will watch from a distance as you die a painful death, all because you decided to intervene with this force."

Tendrils of magic radiated off of his body and enveloped all of us, and he added venomously. "And you also may be delighted to know that I wasn't using my magic for a reason. And you might not like who it attracts."

In a flash of power we vanished, and I realized this strange method of travel the Asgardians use was not a thing I would get used to any time soon.

* * *

The first thing I noticed as Loki's magic evaporated into thin air was how dark it was in this new realm.

The rather smooth ground shifted to a rocky terrain, giant spires of midnight black boulders rose high above my head, pointing to the grey and gloomy sky. The boulders made a circle around us, nearly blocking us from the view of the intimidating mountain range far away.

I walked to a boulder and rest a hand on the rough surface. The air I breathed in was laced with smoke, but my attention was on the mountains. They nearly blended into the ashen sky, but their silhouette was clear enough to distinguish. The ground shook a bit then stilled, and I furrowed my brow in alarm.

A heartbeat later one of the mountains exploded, shooting blood red lava into the sky and painting the dull landscape with its hue. I did a double take, but was transfixed at the lava spurting like a fountain, then slowly receding down to the pit from which it came, without even a single drop spilling over the rim.

Well, it certainly was not Asgard, but it was unique in its own way.

"Where are the dwarves?" Emily asked.

"Inside the mountain," Thor replied. "We better start moving before the next eruption."

I wanted to point out that no actual lava was going to kill us if it just went back into the spout after it was done spurting, but decided to just keep my mouth shut and fall in stride with Emily.

"What do you think they look like?" She asked after a while, and I'll admit I was wondering the same thing.

"Not like dwarves from Snow White, that's for sure," I responded after a while. "I remember reading something on them, like how they were blacksmiths and the finest crafters around."

She was silent for a minute. "I don't know, grumpy was fairly terrifying if you ask me."

I laughed lightly at her joke as we followed Thor with Loki in tow down the mountainside precariously. The decent was very steep, and every possible foothold was either nonexistent or crumbling. Emily and I practically had to slide down it, which was harder than Thor and Loki made it seem.

They straightened with ease as soon as the slope flattened out, and Thor only offered a small glance back to see if we were following, just in time to see me, Emily and Atla stumbling off while tripping on rocks. I panted heavily while brushing off the excess rubble and dust that had clung to my arms and face while I was sliding down and bringing up dirt.

He quickly looked forward again, and I was thankful he didn't say anything, because I doubt there was anything nice to say to a bunch of tiny females coated with grime who had just made a big ordeal out of something as simple as walking down a mountain.

I was eternally grateful that the rest of the way was flat.

Though my happiness was short lived as Atla didn't bother holding back on her questionnaire she pestered us with the rest of the way.

"So where are you guys from?" She asked, refusing to deflate even after Emily glared at her.

"What do you mean?" I decided to turn over a new leaf and be kind to the wave maiden, instead of ticking her off too.

"Where were you born? Which country?"

"United States."

"Which state?"

"Texas."

Atla looked as if I had just proposed the perfect plan to solve world hunger, cure cancer, and grant everyone in existence a free pony for life.

"Texas?!" Atla sounded so starstruck I did a double take. "But. . but you don't have an accent!"

Me and Emily exchanged a glance. "We haven't lived in Texas for almost eleven years now. Our accent faded a long time ago."

"I will not stand for this! Get it back right now and say something!" Atla had such ferocity in her tone I leaned away from her a bit. "And even if it faded you can still say something! Now, say something."

I didn't know whether to be flustered or angry, so I ended being a mixture of both. "What? It- it doesn't- No!"

I was so distracted by her question I nearly walked right into Thor, and I counted myself lucky. I still was not sure if Asgardians had a personal bubble law, and I certainly didn't want to be hung for accidently bumping into the god of thunder.

Or squished like a bug under his hammer.

I doubt he would have a problem with that.

Craning my neck so I could see the entrance we were in front of with no luck, I decided instead to gawk at the looming mountain. It looked about ten times more frightening than the Asgardian palace, and I didn't know whether to take that as a good sign or a bad one.

"Who goes there?" A bodiless voice came from one of the many crevices of the pitch black mountain, and all five of us could not spot him even though we tilted our heads back to do so.

"I am Prince Thor Odinson, of Asgard," Thor called up to the sky.

"What brings you and your party to our humble abode?"

Humble lava-spitting depressing abode, I mentally corrected.

"We come to speak with your king, Hreidmar," Thor responded, shifting slightly as he waited for the voice to speak again, and after a long pause it did.

"What business do you have with my father?"

"We come for advice in dire times. I must not say any more to any other but him." When the voice didn't reply for a long time, I had thought he had simply left, but judging from the way Thor shifted I guessed the dwarf had made himself visible.

I walked on the other side of Thor, unable to suffer being smothered in his long red cape for another second.

The entrance was a massive gold door, intricately built, and I marveled at how such a bright medal could be so easily masked by the dusky rocks.

A surpringly tall man stepped into view, his short coal black hair and slight beard blending in with the rocks behind him. On one shoulder there was a metal shoulder piece with old norse carvings decorating the surface, and on the other he sported a forest green cape. His armor was dark grey, as was the shirt he wore underneath. Clearly visible twin swords hung by his sides as if to intimidate us, and his gloved hands rested on their hilts just in case he needed to pull them out at a moments notice.

"Otr Hreidmarson, prince of Nidavellir," Thor bowed slightly to the prince and the dwarf gave him a curt nod as a reply.

His brown almost black eyes met mine and he raised a brow.

"You bring mortals with you? What kind of quest do you speak of, Thor Odinson?"

"A quest to slay the beast that threatens the nine realms," Thor said dutifully.

"And what part of this quest concerns my father?" Otr cocked his head to one side in curiosity.

"We need advice to construct a weapon we could not hope to create without your father's guidance." Personally I thought Thor was spreading it on a little too thick, but it seemed to be working, because Otr nodded.

Then he finally noticed Loki.

Otr stepped back hesitantly, unsheathing only half of one blade in alarm. "What is this? You bring a criminal to our tranquil home? I will not allow it!"

Otr was about to turn around and leave us, much to Thor's dismay, but he called up hastily, "He is binded and I give you my word he will not step out of line, at the risk of being severely punished."

Otr turned around and examined Loki, who was indeed wearing handcuffs with a moody expression. No wonder he was walking with Thor. My only question was how Thor managed to get them on the slippery god, but that was not the time.

Otr still shook his head. "I apologize dearly, but Father will not be amused if I allow a treasonous murderer into our home, binded or not."

"Well, will you let us in?" I blurted, and my ears slightly went red as the rather, well, handsome dwarf gazed straight into my eyes. "I mean, minus Loki?"

I could sense Loki's disapproval, but I wasn't the one who was wearing the handcuffs, and somehow that made me bold. Yet Otr still looked uncertain. "Father will not be too keen on mortals entering either. . ."

I stifled my indignation with difficulty, and luckily Atla came to my rescue. "Well, what if we only bring one in? The other can wait out here and babysit Loki just until we're done."

Loki looked furious at the term 'babysit', but before he could hiss out another threat, Thor quickly pulled out the muzzle Loki came to Asgard with and placed it on his brothers face with difficulty. Loki struggled, but Thor was stronger, and the scuffle ended in a muzzled, extremely pissed off Loki and a satisfied Thor.

"You. . .you kept that thing?" I couldn't help but sound a bit disgusted, even if it was for Loki. "You kept his bloody muzzle?!"

"You have been acquainted with him as well, have you not?" Thor said, but I picked up the slight guilt in his voice. I gave a rather aggravated sigh and looked away. I shouldn't be wasting my emotions on a sick murderer like Loki, but to keep a muzzle in his pocket for later use? Handcuffs, sure. A muzzle? That was crossing the line, for me at least.

I guess I really just hoped Emily wouldn't get the same idea.

Otr contemplated it for a few seconds before caving. "I guess that would maybe be acceptable, but only one mortal."

"Thank you," Thor still couldn't look me in the eye, so he turned to Emily. "Who is staying with Loki?"

"Not me." Even though I didn't approve of Thor harassing Loki, I sure as hell wasn't going to stand around kicking pebbles as he glared a hole in my skull.

"I don't want to either!" Me and Emily stared at each other, hard.

A minute went by without either of us blinking or averting our gazes, and I'll admit, I started to panic. My eyes were beginning to water and I wouldn't last much longer-

She blinked and rubbed her eyes as tears started to gather on her eyelashes and I smiled, victorious.

Emily wasn't a good sport, even though everyone had seen my awesome win, so she started to whine. "What if he runs? What if he does magic? What if he kills me?"

"He won't leave because of what we discussed," Thor sideglanced at Otr, apparently not keen on talking about the whole soul thing in front of him. "He can't do magic in those, and as long as you don't provoke him, he'll continue thinking you're not worth killing."

Me, Atla and Thor didn't even give them another glance as we hurried after Otr who was eager to get away from Loki.

As soon as the door closed with a reverbating boom, the only light that guided us was the flickering flames of the torches every five paces. I know because I counted after I got bored of staring at the metalic and gloomy walls. The tunnel seemed to go on forever in a straight line, and if there were any side tunnels I wouldn't know, because I was too busy staring at the floor.

After an eternity of walking, a voice echoed through the halls, similar to Otr's but deeper. "Greetings brother! What guests do you have in tow?"

I looked up just in time to see that Otr had halted his long strides and had turned to a taller dwarf that I guessed was his brother.

"Greetings to you as well, Fafnir. This here is the infamous Thor Odinson and . . . his accompaniment."

Fafnir was at least a foot taller than Otr, and was considerably lacking his brothers charming quality. He held a finely crafted axe leisurely in one massive hand covered in blisters and burns while the other clapped his brother on the shoulder. His armor was identical to his brothers, except the black resembled ore, and instead of dark green cape and symbols, they were a firey red to match his hair spilling out of the sides of his viking helmet and his long tangled beard.

He stared me and Atla down, and I noticed he also had a pipe shoved in his beard, for later usage or being used at that moment was a mystery. He snorted, then bowed slightly to Thor. "A pleasure, Prince Thor. If I may, why do you have a mortal and a wave maiden as your accompaniment?"

Thor bowed slightly back to him. "The pleasure is all mine, Prince Fafnir. As for my accompaniment, I have decided to broaden my standards."

Fafnir nodded, and once again I had to stifle anger. It seemed everyone around here was severely racist towards mortals and wave maidens.

"Thor Odinson comes to ask father for guidance upon crafting an item," Otr told his brother.

"Many do," Fafnir nodded, seeming almost smug. "Would it bother you if I joined you to the throne room? I was just on my way to father as well."

"Oh, not at all!"

I watched a pained look cross Thor's features. I also noticed how different Otr and Fafnir acted, compared to Thor and Loki.

The coal black walls slowly melded with a bright red light that bathed the corridor invitingly. After further investigation, I realized the light came from the veins filled with scorching lava. The walls shimmered as heat radiated off, and I wondered how they couldnlive in such a climate, when we appeared at a crossroad.

Otr and Fafnir didn't even hesitate in chosing the left path, where the walls were made of pure gold. I sneaked a glance at the other corridor, where the heat continued until the hall stopped completely at a set of smoking doors. I could literally see the smoke roll off of the metal as loud clangs and clashes of metal could be heard from within, as well as slightly muffled instructions and grunts.

I caught up with the group, my shoes clanging on the tiles noiselessly, to my surprise. I would have expected such a shiny floor to at least squeak, but I could not hear anything aside from the loud din from the forge, which was probably why.

Otr and Fafnir thrust the doors open grandly, slightly gloating at the size and beauty of the throne room. It was indeed mesmerizing. Tall stone pillars rose from the ground and supported a transparent dome ceiling, giving us full view of the swirling lava which also gave natural light to the room. The walls were decorated with gold designs that seemed to swirl right before my eyes. Portraits of dwarves hung between every pillar, even though the pillars were a while away from it. The pillars themselves were embroidered with silver and copper balls, giving me something to stare at as they lead the way to the golden throne at the end of the room.

My eyes were wide, not believing what was before my eyes, but when I reached out and touched a pillar, and felt the cool stone beneath my finger tips, I knew this enthralling place was not a vivid trick of the mind.

Nearing the throne, I at last noticed that there was another dwarf speaking to whom I assumed to be the king, who was staring at the dwarf in almost pity from his perch on the throne.

"You do not understand, father," The dwarf protested, slightly angry.

"I understand perfectly well, Regin." The dwarf cut in, his tone slightly cold, but still nurtured a hint of compassion despite the fact he was in the middle of reprimanding his son. "It is you whose understanding is warped. We shall continue this discussion at a later time."

The king turned to us and smiled, and it only waverd slightly as it passed over me when he inspected the group in his presence.

"Greetings, one and all. For what reason do I deserve such an honor of being your host?"

"The honor is all mine, Lord Hreidmar." Thor bowed deeply to the king, and I followed Atla's lead as she sank to the ground in a kneel. "II come to seek guidance in building an item that is most familiar to you."

Hreidmar's eyes flashed with recognition, as if he could see exactly what Thor was asking, but soon turned back to the jolly brown he had bestowed upon his sons. It was strange. That eye color was most common on earth, yet seeing that color in old and wise dwarf eyes, it seemed to have a different hue. His lengthy beard and hair were managed nicely, and were a flaming red color just like Fafnir. He wore bulkier armor than the princes, which was expected, yet somehow overdone. The patterns almost made me want to shield my eyes, but I suspected that was the idea. He held a simple hammer in his hands, its usage for either a weapon or just for the forge was unknown.

"Of course, I will help you to the best of my capability." Hreidmar nodded his consent. "But, forgive me, does this 'item' have anything, perhaps, to do with the beast that threatens the nine realms?"

Thor nodded, and Hreidmar leaned back, stroking his beard thoughtfully, before turning back to the Asgardian prince. "And I take it your father agrees wholeheartedly with whatever plan you have concocted to defeat it?"

Thor shifted Mjolnir from one hand to the other awkwardly. Hreidmar instantly understood.

"No? I see, I see. . ." The king dwindled off, apparently already having second thoughts about helping us. I got to my feet, and his son whom he was talking to when we entered looked at me with disgust.

I was honestly surprised that Regin was Otr and Fafnir's brother. Instead of traditional armor, he wore a loose and intricately designed metal plates, which I personally thought was a bit redundant since he was going to get blood all over his outfit regardless, and the freshly polished metal would be stained. His beard was long and tamed, just like his fathers, but he had it styled and prepped in a way that made me think he was more prepared for the runway than an actual fight.

He turned up his nose and flared his nostrils, exclaiming out loud, "There is a mortal in your throne room, father!"

"I am perfectly aware of that, Regin." Hreidmar's tone was terse, and it silenced Regin. Hreidmar gave me another wary glance before resting his wise gaze onto Thor.

All of these people need to learn a lesson about racism, I swear. This constant attitude, like I was a cockroach that crawled out of their lunch, needed to stop.

"Your father would not be exactly rejoicijg if I assisted you, would he?"

Thor knew exactly where Hreidmar was getting at. "He would not, you are correct. However, my father is also sitting in Asgard, refusing to help me as I go and slay the beast that threatens all of us. I intend to rid this from us! If you help me, I give you my word I will repay you anything you wish."

Hreidmar laughed slightly. "Dear prince, it is not money or wealth I crave. It is the simple matter of keeping the peace between Asgard and Nidavellir as pristine as possible."

"I shall not tell a soul that you assisted me!" Thor vowed solemnly.

Hreidmar was still uncertain. "I do not doubt you will stick to your word, Thor Odinson, but word will get out sooner or later."

Thor tried a different tactic. "Lord Hreidmar, I plead you hear my words. The dwarves of Nidavellir are the finest craftsmen in all of the nine realms, and I need your guidance to help create a substance that only you know of! The fate of the nine realms are at stake!"

Hreidmar glanced to his sons. Otr was indecisive, Fafnir was nodding his head encouragingly, and Regin scowled and shook his head. The king looked back to Thor.

"My words are not jests. I know personally that your craftsmanship is legendary. I use Mjolnir as an example!" Thor hefted his hammer for them to see. The king's eyes flashed with recognition. "Lord Hreidmar, by yourself you forged this very hammer in the heart of a dying star, and it has been my loyal weapon for many years now. I do not doubt your skill, I only ask if you could guide me in the right direction."

Otr eventually started to nod his head, making Regin shake his more vigorously. Hreidmar also nodded, without even looking to his sons. "Very well. What is this item you wish to craft?"

"I wish to recreate the binds of Fenrir, Lord Hreidmar. I must make the Gleipnir."

The princes reeled back in shock, carefully watching their father for any drastic reaction, but the king only gazed calmly at Thor. "I suspected as much."

He stood up and walked down steps until he was in front of Thor, who bowed again. "Even though I detest the thought of sending you on such a fruitless journey, I will stand by my words, as I expect you to stand by yours."

Regin snorted loudly through his nose, but Hreidmar ignored him. His other sons joined his side, and I realized in the short time I had known Regin, I had already begun to hate him.

Hreidmar walked past Thor, then turned and beckoned him, giving me one last glance. "Follow me."

* * *

"The binds of Fenrir consist of ingredients that are almost extinct in the universe we know at this time." Hreidmar's voice was low as he unraveled a sheet of crumbling parchment that appeared to be blank. All of us, minus Regin who was stewing by the door, were hovering around the table in which Hreidmar had laid out the paper. "TThey will be extremely difficult to find, and even more so to actually keep."

He waved his hand over the sheet and miraculously lines and squiggles appeared, resembling towering mountains and vast forests with a couple of well placed strokes. "However, as some may contradict, they can still be collected."

He continued waving his hands over the sheet and the lines moved to instead form a different landscape, made up of never ending deserts and eerie canyons. "As odd as it may sound, some of the ingradients require magical force to collect, since some of the ingredients are not particularly physical objects, but more abstract."

Waving his hands one last time, the lines changed into a zoomed out version of the universe, and I could faintly see our sun and solar system in the midst of at least ten others. Hreidmar offered no explanation, but pointed to a distant moon almost at the edge of the sheet. "There is one here."

He pointed with one calloused and worn finger, and when he removed it, a bright red dot appeared on the sheet, as if his finger tip was a red stamp. He pointed to various other parts of the map, all far away from each other. One of his points included earth, and that gave me a spark of hope, for some strange reason. I guess I was homesick already.

As a final mark, he circled a seemingly empty area, and where he traced was not red, but dark blue. "Make sure to stay away from this area. It is filled with things you definitely do not want to come into contact with, especially your friend outside."

I started slightly. How did he know about Loki?

He gave me a knowing look.

"What are the ingredients, exactly? I have a blurry recollection of some, but not all," Thor asked.

"The ingredients of the Gleipnir are small in number, but great in importance. You must not, under any circumstances, forget an ingredient, or else the entire outcome will be catastrophic."

Thor nodded his head vigorously and waited for Hreidmar to continue.

"They can be collected in no particular order, that is one of the only upsides. The ingredients include: the sound of a cats footfall, the spittle of a bird, the breath of a fish, the beard of a woman, the sinews of a bear, and the roots of a mountain. As I have said, they are not exactly physical objects."

"How do you catch the sound of a cats footfall?" I mused under my breath, but Hreidmar gave me a knowing look.

"The tasks are easier than they sound," he offered, but I could tell that he was just saying that so I would be at ease, as if he was soothing a screaming child. The looks he exchanged with Otr and Fafnir afterwards said everything.

Hreidmar carefully rolled up the scroll again and passed it to Thor as if it was an important artifact. He thanked them once more, and started pushing me and Atla to the exit, when Hreidmar gave us one last helpful hint that sure did set my uncertainties at ease.

"One last thing before you depart," his voice was sinister and pitiful. "Once one ingredient of the Gleipnir is found, in a way, they will ready themselves for creation, so once you have found all six, it will make itself."

There was something about the way the princes shook their heads in sorrow, as if mourning our deaths already that got to me.

"Yet once this happens, it will be literally impossible to stop creating it."

A heavy pause.

"And if we do?" Atla asked after a prolonged silence.

"Simple." Hreidmar's last words were ones I will remember for the rest of my life, along with the image of his unwavering calm. "Death."


End file.
